Robert Wachter on the Digital Doctor, the Trust Gap, and Medicine's Next Giant Leap

In this episode of the Future of Medicine, we welcome Dr. Robert Wachter, physician, author, and chair of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, for a conversation about artificial intelligence, healthcare, and the future of medicine.Dr. Wachter reflects on how the digitization of healthcare reshaped modern medicine — and why many of the frustrations clinicians experience today, from burnout to endless documentation, emerged during the first wave of the electronic health record revolution.The conversation explores why large language models like ChatGPT feel fundamentally different from earlier healthcare technologies, and how AI may finally help medicine move beyond the limitations of current electronic health records. Dr. Wachter discusses the promise of AI scribes, clinical copilots, patient-facing tools, and digital assistants that can help clinicians synthesize information, reduce administrative burden, and improve access to expertise.At the same time, he examines the risks of overtrusting AI systems, including hallucinations, deskilling, automation bias, and the challenge of keeping humans engaged when machines are right most (but not all) of the time.Together, Dr. Wachter and Euan Ashley discuss empathy, medical education, patient trust, and what happens when technology begins to act increasingly human.Looking ahead, Dr. Wachter shares why he remains optimistic about AI in medicine — and why the next few years could fundamentally reshape how healthcare is delivered around the world.Thank you for listening!Call to action: If you enjoy The Future of Medicine, subscribe for more conversations with leading scientists shaping the next era of healthcare. Please rate and review the podcast to help others discover these important discussions. Share with friends and colleagues who are curious about how science becomes medicine.